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Spelling: We practiced common spelling patterns for the long /o/ sound: o, oa, -old, o-e, ow.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 7-9 are available and are due on Friday.

Reading: We starting reading a story about a talent show. We also practiced writing questions and connections that we thought of when we were reading.

Writing: We talked about how to prewriting a list of ideas using a “BME Chart.” This is a list of ideas from the beginning, middle, and end of the story, listed using bullets. If a student prewrites their beginning, middle, and ending, it will be like a map helping them know what to write about next.

A personal narrative is due October 11. Homework on weekdays is to work on writing for 15 minutes. Your student should be prewriting the beginning, middle, and ending of their story at this point.

Decorated portfolios are due next Monday, September 30.

Math: We practiced multiplying and dividing by 10 today. Homework on weekdays is to practice math for 15 minutes using MobyMax or Khan Academy.

Science: We used a simulation to learn that fossils can form if a dead organism gets buried quickly. Organisms that don’t get buried will decompose or be eaten by scavengers before they can fossilize. Homework is to finish notebook p. 9 if not done in class.

Social Studies: We used on textbook to write notes about what the Preamble means. Homework is to finish this note page if not done in class.

Character Strength: We are learning about teamwork and citizenship this week.

Notes:

• If you would like to buy chromebook insurance for $25, payments are due by September 26 and you can pay online.
• Have you started a Daily Homework Time with your student? If homework causes tears or battles, or if you have had to deal with missing assignments or low grades, read more about Daily Homework Time and start one with your student. It will help!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: We started to practice common spelling patterns for the long /o/ sound.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 7-9 are available and are due on Friday.

Reading: We read a story about a student today due learned that actions affect others.

Writing: We learned to “dig up buried stories,” today. Each student drew a map of their home or other place they know well. Then they places an X on each place where they have a strong or interesting memory. This is one way students can think of story ideas.

Our next piece of writing will be another personal narrative. This is a personal memory that the student remembers (A time I _____). This will be due October 11. Homework on weekdays is to work on writing for 15 minutes. Your student should be working on their “Dig Up Buried Stories” map to help them think of interesting story ideas.

Also, students were giving a colored file folder today to use as a writing portfolio. Students were asked to decorate this folder with pictures, stickers, drawings, clippings. It will be laminated and then used to story final writing pieces for the year. Decorated portfolios are due next Monday, September 30.

Math: We practiced regrouping from one place value to a neighboring one today. Homework on weekdays is to practice math for 15 minutes using MobyMax or Khan Academy.

Science: We looked at some pictures of fossils and inferred how they became fossilized. We’ll use a simulation tomorrow to try to understand why most organisms don’t become fossils and why some do.

Social Studies: We read more about the Preamble to the Constitution and thought about what each part meant.

Character Strength: We are learning about teamwork and citizenship this week.

Notes:

• If you would like to buy chromebook insurance for $25, payments are due by September 26 and you can pay online.
• Have you started a Daily Homework Time with your student? If homework causes tears or battles, or if you have had to deal with missing assignments or low grades, read more about Daily Homework Time and start one with your student. It will help!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: We reviewed short and long vowel sounds and noticed that most words with short vowels have only one vowel (cut, spin, got) and most words with long vowel sounds have two vowels (cute, spine, goat).

Also, results from the Achievement Test 1 pretest are in JupiterGrades.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 4-6 are available and were due on today. Only nine students had their cursive completed and ready to turn in today.

Reading: None today due to picture day. We also watched a video about self-control. It’s about researchers that gave kids one marshmallow, or two if they would wait 15 minutes. Most kids didn’t wait. But the ones that did were shown to be successful later in life. They had self-control and could tell themselves no. The others didn’t think about future consequences, and they kept that pattern throughout life. It shows that self-control is important and 4th graders still have time to build their self-control before the consequences get very hard.

Writing: We talked about publishing today. This is where a student adds a title and decides if they want to change the title font, color or size. It’s also when a student deletes their prewriting and resolves all comments to the writing is ready for others to read.

Our first piece of writing, a personal narrative, will be due Sunday, September 22. Homework on weekdays is to work on writing for 15 minutes. Your student should be finished with their writing at point.

Math: Today was a work day in Khan Academy for students to finish any leftover skills or to work ahead. Homework on weekdays is to practice math for 15 minutes using MobyMax or Khan Academy.

We also noticed that the hard workers in our class have worked over 100 minutes on Khan Academy this week to practice math. But the bottom 20% of our class is only working about 40 minutes. The hard workers in our class completed 18 math skills, while easy workers only learned 3 new skills. It’s pretty clear that some students are working harder than others to learn new things.

Science: We finished reading and writing notes about how scientists use observations to make inferences about the past. Homework is to finish p. 5 if not done in class.

Social Studies: We had a leader lesson today that reviewed the 7 Habits of Successful People.

Character Strength: We are learning about curiosity this week.

Notes:

• Buying chromebook insurance for $25 can save you from a $50-200 repair bill if a screen breaks or a keyboard is damaged. Payments are due by September 26 and you can pay online. Here are more details about chromebook insurance.
• Have you started a Daily Homework Time with your student? If homework causes tears or battles, or if you have had to deal with missing assignments or low grades, read more about Daily Homework Time and start one with your student. It will help!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: Today was a preview of upcoming spelling words.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 4-6 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: Students received Literature Circles notebooks and bookmarks today. We’ll use these for students to record their thoughts when they are reading.

Writing: We looked at a scoring guide that I will use to grade student writing. We reviewed the parts and talked about what I’ll be looking for in their writing. Here’s an example of how I score writing and the types of feedback I give students. I’ll grade a piece of each student’s writing with this scoring guide about every three weeks.

Students also worked on editing today for spelling, capitals, periods, and other mistakes.

Our first piece of writing, a personal narrative, will be due Sunday, September 22. Homework is to work on writing for 15 minutes. Your student should be revising at this point by adding more writing or making improvements.

Math: We practiced writing numbers in expanded, standard, and word form. Homework is to practice math for 15 minutes using MobyMax or Khan Academy.

Science: We read about how sedimentary rocks form and how scientists use observations to make inferences.

Social Studies: We read more about the type of government we have.

Character Strength: We are learning about curiosity this week.

Notes:

• Tomorrow is Picture Day!
• Buying chromebook insurance for $25 can save you from a $50-200 repair bill if a screen breaks or a keyboard is damaged. Payments are due by September 26 and you can pay online. Here are more details about chromebook insurance.
• Have you started a Daily Homework Time with your student? If homework causes tears or battles, or if you have had to deal with missing assignments or low grades, read more about Daily Homework Time and start one with your student. It will help!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: We finished our spelling pretest today.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 4-6 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: We finished reading a story about a dragon and a person who had to defeat the dragon with problem-solving. We also learned about making predictions, putting events in order, and what fairy tales are usually like.

Writing: We talked about focusing on a short time in writing. If a student wanted to write about interesting events that happen during lunch, they should focus just on lunch, not on the bus, in the classroom, at recess, or what they did at home. Focusing on a short time lets the reader spend their energy on the best parts.

Students also spent some time editing for spelling, capitals, periods, and other mistakes.

Our first piece of writing, a personal narrative, will be due Sunday, September 22. Homework is to work on writing for 15 minutes. Your student should be editing at this point.

Math: We practiced using place value to make a large or small number from a set of digits. Some students also practiced writing numbers in expanded and standard form. Homework is to practice math for 15 minutes using MobyMax or Khan Academy.

Science: We read more about how fossils can give us clues about the past.

Social Studies: We started reading about questions political scientists ask and what our government is like.

Character Strength: We are learning about curiosity this week.

Notes:

• Picture Day is Friday!
• Chromebook insurance payments are due by September 26.
• Have you started a Daily Homework Time with your student? If homework causes tears or battles, or if you have had to deal with missing assignments or low grades, read more about Daily Homework Time and start one with your student. It will help!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.